At least 16 members of Syria's security forces were killed by a suicide vehicle bomber and ensuing clashes with rebels at a checkpoint on the outskirts of Damascus on Friday, an opposition monitoring group said. Syrian state television reported the blast but did not specify a death...

    Qatari Foreign Minister Khaled al-Attiya on Friday announced that “the Qatari mediation has led to the release of the nine Lebanese” hostages who were abducted in Syria's Aazaz and Lebanese officials have confirmed his remarks.  ...

 Two Turkish Airlines pilots who were kidnapped in Lebanon in August are close to being released, Turkey's foreign minister said Friday. "Very favourable developments are under way concerning the two Turkish pilots, this matter has been largely settled," Ahmet Davutoglu said on local...

In the northern city of Raqqa, the condemned – some civilians, some soldiers, shabiha or alleged Assad collaborators – are brought blindfolded and handcuffed to the city square to be shot in the head in public.  Once celebrated as one of Syria’s first fully liberated cities, Raqqa,...